Monday, 31 March 2008

Directed by Joe Dante

Joe Dante is one of the great unsung talents. The director of The Howling, Gremlins, Innerspace, the best segment of The Twilight Zone movie, The Burbs and many more wonderfully entertaining, subversive and anarchic movies, Dante hasn't directed a feature since 2003's Looney Tunes: Back In Action which I remember seeing one New Year's Day in New York and howling with laughter, although His Masters Of Horror episode, Homecoming, about zombie GIs returning home from Iraq in order to vote was terrific; certainly the best of a very patchy series. I interviewed Dante in the early 90s and found him to be exactly as I'd imagined he'd be from his movies and press interviews. Engaging, funny and steeped in geekiness. I know he's been trying to get a Roger Corman/The Trip biopic off the ground for some time, but it's great to read on Fangoria.com that he's likely to direct the remake of the 1979 Australian vampire movie Thirst remake, taking over from Mick Garris who's moving on to direct an adaptation of Stephen King's Bag of Bones. Any Dante is fine by me.